The founder and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk, bought 9.2% of Twitter shares on Monday, the platform announced in a statement sent to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). acronym in English), a week after suggesting their interest in entering the sector.
The tycoon, according to the statement, bought a total of 73.5 million shares of the microblogging network -out of a total of 800.6 million titles that make up the company’s capital stock-, which represents a 9.2% stake, according to the DPA and Bloomberg agencies.
The Musk purchase, made through the Elon Musk Revocable Trust and equivalent to a total of US$ 2,888 million (according to the closing value on the stock market last Friday), places the businessman as the main shareholder of the platform.
Musk, with a net worth of $287 billion, is the richest person in the world today.according to a ranking by Forbes Magazine.
Weeks ago, the CEO of Tesla and Space X, and a frequent user of Twitter, asked his 80 million followers in a survey about whether or not the social network adheres “rigorously” to the principle that freedom is essential for democracy. .
Two days later, after a majority that leaned “no”, Musk wondered if “a new platform is necessary”.
“Since Twitter fulfills a function as a public square and fails to adhere to the principles of freedom of expression, this undermines democracy. What can we do?” Musk posted through his personal account.
In this context, and in response to a user, he said he was “seriously thinking” about creating a new platform.
Twitter shares, after Monday’s announcement, were up more than 22% in pre-opening Wall Street trading.
The purchase of Musk, whose role in the company is still unknown, occurs months after profound changes in the leadership of Twitter, after the resignation of its CEO and co-founder, Jack Dorsey last November.
